A/N - I have to ask you guys, where did the assumption of Bryan being the Unsub come from? Because if you think that, you either read my mind, or you're crazy! Yes, you can pick which one you are. xoxo Meg

Emily left Bryan in the conference room with her boss, walking down to her desk to grab a Kleenex from the box she had next to her computer. She looked to Reid, who was buzzing through the file their boss had given him. "Spence, are you ok?"

Reid looked up before nodding, staring at the older woman. "I should be asking you that."

"What do you mean?"

"Em, you told us yourself he's like a son to you. And we all know he looks to you like you're his mother. You're the closest thing he has to a mother, other than his aunt. If I were you, I'd be hysterical."

Emily shook her head and she blew her nose into the Kleenex. "You know Spence, you're really not helping with the situation."

Reid immediately shook his head, his eyes bugging out. "Emily, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Relax, Reid. It's fine." She closed her red rimmed eyes as she sat in her swivel chair. "It's just hard, you know? I mean, his is like my son. He comes to my house every Saturday night for a sleepover. And he always brings this bear I gave him for his birthday." She shook her head again as a tear ran down her cheek. "He told me he hugs it when I'm not there to hold him."

Reid nodded slowly, looking to his older colleague. "I'm sorry, Em. We'll find him, you know."

"Trust me, I don't doubt that."

Emily took another Kleenex from her, before jumping when her office phone rang. She picked it up and held it against her ear before throwing the tissue into the garbage next to her desk. "Emily Prentiss."

"Oh, Emily Noel Prentiss, you really don't look as pretty when you cry."

Emily immediately looked up from her desk, clutching the phone against her ear as she looked from agent to agent. "What do you want?"

"Oh, just calling to say what nice manners your son has. He's said please and thank you whenever it was appropriate, and told my wife she had a pretty necklace. It was quite cute to watch."

Emily shook her head at hearing the 'son' reference again, but said nothing about it. "I want him back. Tell me what you want and I'll do it, I swear."

Reid looked up from his desk and narrowed her eyes at her, seeing her immediately point to the conference room and mouth 'get Hotch'.

Emily watched as Reid ran to the conference room before listening back to the man on the other end.

"We wanted Jack, Emily. And we got him."

"Please, I just want him back. His father and I miss him very much. If it's money you want-"

"What did I just say, Emily? We wanted Jack."

Emily felt anger well up in her, seeing the team, and Bryan quickly surround her. "Fine, why did you want Jack? What could he possibly do for you?"

"You're the profiler, Emily. You tell me."

Emily shook her head against the phone as she stood, eyeing every agent that was on their phone. "No, I'm not playing mind games with you. I want him back, and I don't want a scratch on his head."

"Oh, Emily. Do you really think I'd hurt the newest addition?"

Her body suddenly froze, her eyes staring blankly down at her desk as she bit her lip, her eyes watering. She noticed the break in her voice as she spoke, but honestly at this point, she didn't care. "Newest addition?"

"Yes, Emily. Newest addition. And he's making quite a good one. He's eaten all his food, drunken only water and milk. He even helped clean his brother's room when I asked him. Right now he's in the living room with his brothers and sister. They're watching TV."

"Only one girl?"

"Well we can't have all boys, now can we?"

Emily wiped a tear from her cheek, putting the phone against her chest before looking at her boss. "He said Jack's with his brothers and sisters. They could be other possible missing children."

Hotch immediately nodded before looking to a flustered Garcia. "Go and look up missing children from the ages one to ten. All in the Washington and Virginia area. We know he hasn't been doing this for a long time, so search for kids who have gone missing this year."

As Garcia ran back to her office, Emily put the phone back to her ear. "Why did you pick him?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Why Jack? Does he look like your wife? Does he act like another child you lost? Or are you just so desperate you took any little kid off the street that was minding their own business?"

"Now you listen here you bitch! You don't know me or my wife so you shut your little whoring mouth before I come and shut it for you!"

"Don't think that you can 'sweet talk' me, bud."

"You little-"

"Put Jack on the phone."

"Now why should I give you the chance to talk to him?"

"Because like you said, he's like my son. And I want a chance to talk to him, and listen to his voice. I want to know that my son is ok. My son."

Emily let out a shaky sigh as she felt Bryan's hand on her shoulder, and Hotch's eyes burning into hers.

"Em'ly?"

A small smile appeared on her face as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Hi baby. Are you ok? The nice man you're with said you were watching TV."

"I am, Emmy! He got us mac and cheese for lunch and I helped clean out Toby's room before!"

Emily put the phone to her chest before whispering to Hotch. "One of the little boy's name's in Toby."

He nodded before looking to Morgan, who was nodding and already on his way to Garcia.

Emily shoved the phone back against her ear, pointing down to the screen that showed the number Jack and the captor was calling from. "Jack, I want you to keep talking to me, ok?"

"Why, Em'ly? I gots to see you tomorrow anyway, remember?"

There was a slight pause before Emily's husky voice came back to everyone's ears. "I know that, sweetie. But, I need you to keep talking to me, ok? Tell me what you want to do tomorrow when you're coming over my house."

"You said we could play games and watch movies and eat pizza and have ice cream and tell stories with all the lights off and blankets and read books and eat more food and-"

"Sweetie! You're talking way to fast. I can barely understand what you're saying."

"Got it, Emmy!"

"Baby, tell me the names of all the boys and girls with you. Can you do that?"

"Yeah! But Em'ly, there's only one girl."

Emily nodded against the phone, seeing the rest of the team's worried eyes stare her way. "Ok, well tell me her name."

"Jenny. She's got yellow hair, Emmy! And I'm taller!"

Emily, once again, held the phone to her chest. "There's only one little girl there, and her name is Jenny. She has blond hair and is smaller than Jack."

"Jack?"

"Yup!"

"Tell me the other's names, sweetie. Can you do that?"

"No, Emmy I gots to go."

Emily immediately shook her head against the phone, her eyes widening. "Baby, I want you to stay on the phone with me. Can you do that?"

"I can't!"

"Jack-"

"He said no, Emily."

Emily's eyes hardened as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Where did he go?"

"He had to run to the bathroom. And just in time. I was going to tell him your time was done, anyway."

"Bu-"

"We'll talk soon."

Once the dial tone came back on the line, Emily dropped the phone. Her eyes were blurry as she turned, wrapping her arms around Bryan's neck and sobbing into his chest.